Here's the beautiful new rear disc brake setup. Gary draws the splines of the new wheel studs into place using a lug nut turned backward so the flat surface of the nut bears against the rotor. Otherwise the tapered side of the lug nut would gall the rotor. You can also see the integral parking brake mechanism on the back side of the caliper, which connects directly to the original parking brake cable so there's no need to replace or re-engineer the parking brake mechanism. Note that the rotors are grooved in order to give brake dust a place to go rather than being trapped between the pads and the rotors. This reduces the chance of brake squeal, promotes cooling, and enhances brake performance.
Craig Gardner installs new steel brake lines for the rear calipers. New flexible hoses are included with the installation package to make for a safe and dependable installation.
The recently-introduced QA1 rear shocks for the C1 Corvette are beautifully made and very trick. These gas-filled shocks are adjustable with just the turn of a dial, so each driver can adjust them to get the ride, comfort, and performance desired. Since they're so easily adjusted, you can change the settings for a few runs down the drag strip, then change them back for the ride home.
Here on the driver's side you can see that the QA1 shocks are direct bolt-in replacements for the originals, so even if you're not going all the way to disc brakes and fiberglass springs, you can simply install a set of these adjustable shocks and enjoy the upgraded ride and performance they offer, along with the adjustability described above.
Gary Gardner finishes up installation of the new rear sway bar from Jim Meyer Racing, which is a straightforward bolt-installation. It's a perfect complement to the adjustable shocks, and the combination of the bar and shocks minimizes body roll and smooths out bumps for solid, secure cornering. The bar is supplied with all the necessary brackets and hardware, and installation is a snap.
The final step in this job was bleeding the brakes. Gary and his team prefer to use a pressure bleeder for complete purging of any air in the system. For Corvettes and other cars that may not see much use over extended periods of time (like those cold, snowy Pennsylvania winters), Gary recommends silicone brake fluid which helps prevent corrosion in the lines and calipers.